Tell us what you're doing. Your colleagues in affiliates around the country want to hear about...

• How you manage elections
• Planning a conference
• What works in communicating with members
• How you use social media

...and more.

Look to other affiliates for ideas for your own affiliate. Here are some tips we've received:

Events

• Have a volunteer sign-up and display table at every event. Contact NCFR for brochures and materials.
• Promote your events on your affiliate website and NCFR's website.

Recruitment

• Ask other affiliate members to contact new and prospective members. An additional letter or phone call may make the difference (Try asking affiliate officers, committee chairs or past officers). A letter could include names and phone numbers of affiliate officers, an affiliate calendar and a short personal note. A phone call could just be a friendly reminder.
• Offer incentives. Provide discounts to new or prospective members.

Communication/Organization

• Change your website's home page frequently. People will check back regularly if they know that fresh information is posted regularly.
• Recognize contributions made by members during the affiliate meetings. This honors their achievements and encourages others to volunteer.
• Communicate with your members regularly using a variety of channels.
• Keep an up-to-date contact/attendee list.
• Have new members wear "New Member" badges. Attach "New Member" stickers to name badge to identify your new members. New members will feel honored and existing members will know who is new at the meeting.
• Call every member of your chapter in a year. If calling your whole affiliate seems impossible, start small. Try calling half per year. Remove regular attendees from your list. Again, this personal touch to invite members to meeting, ask them to join a committee, just touch base about affiliate happenings, or ask one survey-type question about lack of participation, may get an affiliate member to come to your next meeting to see what they're missing.
• Encourage new member involvement. Give new members who attend meetings a small task to help them get to know people; introduce other new members, be a greeter, introduce the featured speaker, assist with registration, distribute handout materials.

Publicity

• Take advantage of local newspaper calendars. Most newspapers have community calendars where you can promote your meetings. Note in your announcement: "Non-members always welcome".
• Host a new or prospective member night. Have a reception in their honor. Invite new and/or prospective members to a special social hour prior to your regular monthly meeting or hold a special event just for them.
• Toot your own horn. Use testimonials from affiliate members in letters, on meeting notices or in your newsletters.